A closeup of one of the first mosaics, a female face flanking a Hebrew inscription. (photo by Jim Haberman)
The Huqoq Excavation Project will benefit from a $1.6 million grant from the U.S. Department of State to the W.F. Albright Institute of Archaeological Research.
Huqoq, a UNC-Chapel Hill-led archaeological project in Israel’s Lower Galilee region, is revolutionizing our understanding of ancient Jewish religious and cultural life.
Part of the grant will be used to partner with the Israel Antiquities Authority for minor excavations, large-scale conservation and tourism site development of the Huqoq synagogue and its mosaics. Jodi Magness, Kenan Distinguished Professor for Teaching Excellence in Early Judaism in UNC’s College of Arts and Sciences, who led excavations at Huqoq from 2011 until the final year of the dig in 2023, will be the archaeological consultant on the newly funded grant project.
Matthew Grey (Ph.D. ’11), Jodi Magness and Jocelyn Burney (Ph.D. ’23). Grey and Burney were both area supervisors at Huqoq. (photo by Jim Haberman)
The Huqoq excavations, in which dozens of UNC students participated, brought to light a Late Roman (ca. 400 C.E.) synagogue paved with stunning mosaics depicting biblical stories and the first non-biblical story ever discovered in an ancient synagogue (huqoq.org). National Geographic named the mosaics among its list of “100 Archaeological Treasures of the Past,” and the finds have been featured in national and international media.
Magness has been associated with the Albright Institute since she was a graduate student fellow there, and she currently serves on the institute’s board of trustees.
The grant represents a major investment in shared cultural heritage, public diplomacy and the preservation of archaeological and archival resources central to the history of the United States in the region.
“The grant strengthens the Albright’s longstanding mission to promote U.S. scholarship in the Holy Land, support cultural heritage preservation and build meaningful collaborative partnerships across communities,” said Jamie Fraser, director of the Albright Institute.
Magness added that “the awarding of the grant for the conservation and development of the Huqoq synagogue highlights the significance of the discoveries made by the UNC-led excavation project.”
Founded in 1900, the Albright Institute is the oldest U.S. research center in the Middle East. The institute hosts fellows from across the United States and around the world, fostering international collaboration, scholarly excellence and public engagement.
Read a Carolina Arts & Sciences magazine story on the Huqoq project.